Cushion



Ag. 2o, 1935.

Filed July 25, 1932 c. H. GERLo'FsoN ET AL cusaIoN 2v sheets-sheet 1 In Z/en for@ da?! /fuga ,erZaSO/z ug- 20 1935. c. H. GRLoFsoN Er AL 2,012,042

CUSHION File July '23, 1932 I 2. sheets-shew; 2

y r g 534 j 74 j? o GGL@ o O O O 0 O O O r @Omo It has for one object Patented Aug.

This invention relates ticularly to a seat cushion s PATE-Nr oFFicE cUsmoN Carl Hugo Gerlofson and Theodore J. Nelson,

,Y Chicago, Ill. v

Application July 2s, 1932, serial No. 624.',182 4 claims.` (01455-119) to a cushion and parfor-chairs. lIn the form illustrated herewith it is particularly adapted for use as a seat and back cushion of an automobile.

to provide a cushion which is ventilated throughout in which ventilation is provided up and down or transversely through the cushion and longitudinally back and forth through the cushion.

Another object is to provide in connection' with two cushions ventilation for the two in cooper ation. Other objects will appear from time to time in the course of the specification and claims The invention is grammatically in wherein- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical cross-section I illustrated more or less dia? he accompanying drawings,

through an automobile seat;

Figure 2 is a transverse taken at line 2-2 of Figure vation;

vertical cross-section 1 with parts in elel, Figure 3 is a horizontal cross-section taken at line' 3-3 of Figure at line 4--4 of Figure tion of the cushion;

2 with parts in section and argedvsectional detail taken 3, illustrating the lower por- Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional detail taken at line 5;-5 of Figure ion member;

Figure 6 is a sectio Figure 4 illustrating 3, showing the upper cushnal view somewhat similar to a modiedjform of the lower portion of the cushion. l

Figure '7 is a transverse vertical sectional del tail, corresponding to Figure form of front support.

1, but showing an throughout the specication and drawings.

`A indicates a portion of or the floor bdard frame member. A2

the automobile frame of the frame. Al is a seat is an upstanding frame member of the seat frame preferably joined to the frame member A1. frame member and A3 is an upwardly extending l A4 is a cooperating frame member providing a relatively extended surface to receive and support the cushion. A5 is a back member upwardlyiextending and provided with one or more openings A6 upper end'. The opening by a fabric or screen preferably adjacent its may be partially closed member A". A2 is a sheathof cloth metal or any other suitable material.

A9 is a frame member extending about the opening A6 and framing it and holding the sheathing sheet like member C l thus form in effect a main A plurality `*in construction and shape as the lowest portion in place about the opening. If 'there is more than one opening A6 there will of course be a corresponding number of frames A2. j

In the form illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 `the seat cushion includes a bottom member B whichv 5 may be of wood or other relatively stii material and is provided with a plurality of perforations B1. One or more spacing members B2 are positioned on the bottom of the frame member B. Adjacent its rear end one or more angles B3 are fastened to the member B in any suitable manner and yet may carry along their upper edge a frame `member B1 so that the angles B2 and the frame IB4 together form a relatively stiff or unyielding rear edge for the cushion, with gaps or spaces B5 between 'the angles B2.

The lower portion of the cushion is formed of a which is of yielding material preferably rubber and may be of sponge rubber. It is perforated as at C1. The perforations may be of any desired shape and are here shown as being circular merely for illustrative purposes. of upwardly extending iingers or columns C2 isattached to the sheet like member C and these columns or ngers C2 may if desired be made integralwith the sheet C.

superimposed upon the lowermost cushion portion formed of the member C and the columns C2 is a second portion which is generally the same but is reversed in position. It is formed of al sheet like member D perforated'as at D1 and provided with columns or fingers D2 generally of the same size, shape and location as the fingers C2. The fingers or columns D2 are' positioned upon thefmgers or columns C2 and fastened to them and thus form in effect continuations of them, and th'e upper andintermediate cushion portions lower cushion by an upper and lower sheet like member and supported 40 by the composite column or finger members C2, D2. The perforations D1 may be smaller than the perforations B1,4 but this is not essential.

superimposed upon the lowery cushion portion is an upper or surface cushion formed of a sheet like member E perforated as at El. This membermay be of greater height at one side of the cushion than at the other, as indicated for example in Figure 1 in which at the forward edge 5.0 of the cushion as at X the cushion is higher than it is at vits rear-edge as at Y. The surface cushion member may have rounded edges/as at E2 E3 and is provided with a plurality of'downwardly depending column or linger-like portions E4. 55

ment a greater degree These members E4 rest upon the surface of the sheet member D and are secured to it for example by cement or in any other suitable wa Columns E1-are offset with respect to column or nger members C22 D2 vand are positioned to bear partially on the column `or finger members C2, D2 and partially on the web portion between the columns C2, D2; columns E4 being relatively smaller than columns C2, D2. Bythis arrangeber due to its composition. f

Surrounding the entire cushion on its top and sides is a fabric covering F'which fastened as at F1 tom member B of the cushion and at its rear edge portion is fastened to or abuts againstthe upper positioned over these openings.

The cushion above described provides air spaces K in the main portion of the lower seat cushion. These are the spaces between the colcommunication with the air below through the perforations C1 and B1' and above through the perforations Dl'and E1, the latter formed in the upper or surface sheet like member E. Air

leave as indicated circulate through the spaces K1 K1 are left in the upper o r surface member between the fingers E4 and the fabric which covers the cushion is somewhat porous the air spaces K1 and thus air may circulate through the fabric and through the entire cushion. Air will enter as indicated in the arrow in Figure 1 through the openings F3 also by arrowsin Figure-1 through the openings B5 in the rear of the cushion. The airpassage or space K2 isdehed in the rear of the seat cushion and below the back cushion. This space is enclosed 'by the frame members A4 A5 Air spaces K2 are left in the main body of thevback cushion between the column members G2 and H2 and in communication With the openings J3 in the lower edge of Air spaces K4 are left in the outer or surface portion of .the back cushion between the ngers or columns I2. Air may thus entire body of the back cushion. `It may enter through the porous fabric or sides or top of the Will enter the. openings F3,

ion through the ope gs B5, enter the back cushion through the openings J2 and leave that cushion through the opening or openings A6.

air into and out of the cushion.

. -In Figure 6 there is shown a modified form of the cushion. Instead of the sheet member C as shown in Figure 4 a mesh fabric such for example as a. wire mesh cloth L may be used and colwill pass rearwardlyd' through the seat cushion, will leave the seat cushumns or fingers Ll of rubber may be molded di- 45.

rectly upon this fabric.

the cushion and rotation in the opposite direction will lower it.

It will be realized that whereas our invention is herewith shown and described as a practical lwhich they are attached or they might be made separately and fastened to the sheet members,

by cementing or stapling, by reinforcing or by any other means. The coverings for the cushion might forsome purposes be used almost any sort of cushion covering might be employed and it is not necessary that the cushion covering be air pervious. `For many purposes the openings F3, B5, J3 and A6 are suillcient to provide adequate air\circulation and where these are found' sufficient the covering need not be porous or air pervious. Ordinarily, it is preferable to make it porous.

To prevent excess forward movement of thev seat cushion one or more preferably flexible members N are used. They may be attached to the rigid rear member as at Nx and at their forward ends or edges they may be cementedbetween the surface and intermediate cushion sections as atN2.

The cushion is preferably made of rubber and particularly of sponge rubber. We prefer ordinarily to make the upper member of the seat cushion and outer member ofthe back cushion of rubber having a different texture or softness from that which forms the4 rest of the cushion.

` In the form shown, the main body of the cushion .ber E, whatever its shape,

is formed of sponge rubber of one texture and the top of the seat cushion and the outer side of the back cushion are made of sponge rubber of softer and more yielding texture.

If desired theshape and dimensionsof thev cushions may be greatly varied. For some purposes itwill not be necessary to add the upper surface member and the cushion will be formed of the two lower parts C and D, or for some purthe part C, and the upper part E may be attached directly to it. In some cases a member generally like the upper partl E may be used. as a cushion or upholstery member without either of the lower parts C or D. The member E need not always have the curved or uneven upper surface as indicated particularly in Figures2 and 5.' vIts upper surfacemight be fiat or plane. The upper memmay be made in any size. It might for example be made by the yard and at the time of use cut into any size or shape and. used vjust as a fabric would be used, or in any other manner. Y

Where in the specification and claims we have referred to the free circulation of air, or the free ventilation, we mean by that a degree of circulation greater than that possible through the fabric of the material, whether it be rubber or anything else. We mean the circulation and ventilation which is possible only by the existence within thebody of the cushion of relatively large, open and unobstructed passages and chambers.

The use and operation of our invention are as follows:

While the cushions of this invention are not limited to use in automobiles they are shown as applied to that purpose. In general, they are applicable to any f ormof cushioning or upholstering. l

omitted or where move with the user.

and shifts'his position upon the cushion, he will depress one portion and' permit another portion to rise. .Anyj such movement of the-user on the cushion causes some part of the cushion to be compressed and permits another part to expand and such movement yautomatically alters the capacity of some of the air passages within the cushion and thus forces air out of one portion and draws it into another so that the movement of the user on the cushion sets up in elIect an irregular pumping or air circulating action. This is true of the use of suchl cushions whether they be applied to automobile seats or to any other form of upholstery. When the cushion is used as an automobile seat `and the vehicle is driven forward it has been found that air will enter at the openings in the lforward end of the seat cushion and be forced thence through the cushion out of its rear edge and up to the back cushion and out to the rear and adjacent the top of the back cushion. This movement is in addition to the irregular action due to the movement of the user above described.

For certain purposes it may be desirable to provide forced draft toblow air positively into that'is done a Astantly entering and leaving the cushion through 'de and surface openings.

1 e important advantage inherent in cushions of I/this type is that they not only yield vertically ory in the line of main compression butthe surfaces of these cushions in contactwith the user Thus, in the case of the seat cushion upon which the user sits, backward the be forcibly exhausted A and forward movement of the user. with respect to' the vehicle merely bends or moves Ythe upper surfaces of the cushion back and forth along Va, line more or less parallel to the floor of the vehicle so that the user does not slide on the seat but a large part of the cushion bodily moves back and forth with the user.

' Correspondingly, the back cushion against which the user leans is not only compressible in a line generally at right angles to the plane of the support A5 but may generally parallel to the plane of the support A5 and thus as the user moves up and down due to jolts and jars sustained by the vehicle be distorted along a line he does" not slide with respect to the rear cushion. It moves and bends with him and is distorted as he j between the a second group of relatively smaller columns supported upon 4 sheet-like member, there being an appreclably larger number of ,said smaller columns in the partially supported on thefportions of the resilient sheet-like member lying between the columns of *the first group, and a second sheet-likemember supported upon said columns of the second group, the relatively smaller rubber columns of the second group providing a greater degree of flexibility to the upper portion of the cushion.

2. In a cushion having a relatively rigid base member, a group of rubber said sheet-like member, a, second sheet-like member supported upon said secondy group respect to the columns of the first group, whereby to provide a. greater degree of :texibility for the upper group of columns of the cushion. c

3. In a cushioned seat, a, relatively rigid air ,pervious base member, and an air pervious rubber cushion positioned thereon, said rubber cushion being formed of a pair of perforate sheets, each of columns, the columns cushion.

an additional sheet-like member formed of material ports, said rubber cushions being formed of pairs for causing circulation o1' airfrom the'edge of one cushion to and through the edge of the other CARL HUGO GERLOFSON. THEODORE J. NELSON, 

